View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerIndians CEO Paul Dolan (center) will likely make quick decisions on General Manager Chris Antonetti (left) and President Mark Shapiro shortly after the conclusion of the regular season next week.

Indians Chatter

Clubhouse confidential: First sabermetrics devalued the win by starting pitchers when it came time to select a Cy Young winner. Now the RBI has been devalued among statisticians and baseball front offices.

How does manager Manny Acta feel about the RBI supposedly losing some of its luster?

“How do you win games?” Acta asked. “By scoring more runs than the other team. Runs and RBI are very important to me.”

On the run: Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Kipnis started the Indians’ five-run seven inning Saturday with a double steal. Choo stole third and continued home on catcher Adam Moore’s throwing error.

Choo and Kipnis each have the green light and they went on their own. The key, said third-base coach Steve Smith, is for Kipnis to keep an eye on Choo so he runs when Choo runs.

Stat of the day: In Sunday’s 15-4 victory, the Indians scored all their runs from the sixth inning on. It’s just the third time the Indians have done that, according research by the team’s PR department, since 1918. The first two times happened Sept. 10, 1939 vs. St. Louis Browns and July 8, 1956 against the Kansas City Athletics. 

— Paul Hoynes

CHICAGO -- Manny Acta, in his conversations with reporters, sounds like a manager confident about keeping his job.

On this last trip of the season, Acta has talked about plans for next spring training and for several organizational meetings that will take place right after the end of the regular season on Oct. 3. He does not sound like someone worried about getting fired after an all-encompassing collapse in the second half. Or is Acta simply relying on his positive nature, while whistling past the graveyard?

In truth, nothing has been decided on Acta's future because there is at least one decision that must be made higher up the Indians' flow chart of responsibility. Yes, that involves the future of GM Chris Antonetti. The two men making that decision are expected to be CEO Paul Dolan and President Mark Shapiro. Dolan, backed by his father, Larry, could decide to make a clean sweep and look to replace all three -- Shapiro, Antonetti and Acta, but that seems unlikely.

The Dolans have always trusted Shapiro. In turn, Shapiro has always been a strong advocate of Antonetti, who was his assistant general manager for nine years.

Until a decision is made on Antonetti, a decision on Acta will not be made. After the 2009 season, Shapiro was moving from the general manager's job into the team presidency. He gave Antonetti, the incoming GM, plenty of freedom in hiring Acta to replace Eric Wedge. If Antonetti does return, and Acta is fired with a year left on his contract, what does that say about Antonetti's judgment?

When asked about Acta's future, Antonetti said Monday afternoon, "Nothing has changed. Our concentration is still on getting as much as we can out of these last games. When the season is over, we can't evaluate these players anymore."

Still, in these uncertain times, the Indians are facing a long list of decisions. It's hard to imagine that discussions on the big ones haven't already taken place, because they're going to have to be made in a timely manner once the season ends.

After a decision is made on Antonetti and Acta, decisions on the coaching staff must follow. So far, they have not been told if they'll return. Bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., of course, is considered a favorite to replace Acta if a managerial change is made.

Key personnel decisions will have to be made as well. Among them, do the Indians exercise the options of starting pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez and Roberto Hernandez? The course of the team needs to be plotted as well. Do the Indians try to add to the existing core, or do they rebuild by trading players such as Shin-Soo Choo and Chris Perez?

The Indians have eight games left to evaluate the players on the field. The evaluation on everyone else should already be nearing completion.

No go: Acta wanted to start his best available lineup Monday in this three-game series again the AL Central-leading White Sox, but that wasn't possible.

Center fielder Michael Brantley didn't start because of a groin problem. Brantley injured the groin in a rundown between first and second base Sunday in the sixth inning. Ezequiel Carrera started in center.

The day after:Jason Donald's right wrist was barking Monday after he went through a full workout of hitting and throwing Sunday. Donald has not played since Sept. 16 when he was hit by a Justin Verlander pitch.

"I've really never had a day-to-day injury," said Donald. "This feels different every day."

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